Pediatric Dentist Near You
At Impression Dental, our staff is experienced with child dentistry patients and understands children are prone to experiencing dental anxiety. We believe if children are taught and practicing good dental habits, then the dentist is not a painful and scary experience early on.
When Should Your Child See the Dentist?
We recommend bringing your child in for their first dental visit at age three. During this visit they are shown the different tools used, taken for a ride in the exam chair, and are positively reinforced by the dentist with words of encouragement and education on oral hygiene.
Despite your child’s first set of teeth being temporary, pediatric dentistry should be taken seriously as it can affect the development of adult teeth. Keeping your child’s baby teeth healthy is important for the following reasons: Saves space for permanent teeth, facilitates normal speech development, contributes to proper nutrition, gives permanent teeth a healthier onset.
What is Pediatric Dentistry?
Baby teeth are different from the teeth they develop as adults. Baby teeth appear for the first few years of the child’s life and are delicate in composition. Although baby teeth are temporary, they can also get cavities and be painful for children. Cavities in baby teeth can likely lead to decay in their adult teeth, therefore, it’s important to ensure your child has good oral hygiene from a young age, as well as visiting the dentist regularly.
Children who suck their thumbs or pacifiers can affect the bite of that child, which is also important in the overall development of adult teeth. Regular visits to the dentist can ensure your child’s transition from baby teeth to adult teeth is on the track towards good dental development.
How Do Children’s Teeth Develop?
Due to the size of their jaws, children typically have around 20 teeth. The growth of their teeth begins with the incisors and continues towards the molars at the back of the jaw. Their first set of permanent molars grow behind the baby molars at around age six and another set of molars come in six years later. Eighteen is usually when the wisdom teeth grow in and complete the set of 32 adult teeth.
Most babies are born without teeth, however, some have one or more poking from their gums soon after being born. When children develop their teeth depends on the child, however, the list below approximately indicates when your child’s baby teeth will typically appear:
- Central front teeth: 6 to 12 months
- Lateral front teeth: 9 to 13 months
- Canine teeth: 16 months to 2 years
- First and second molars: 1 to 3 years